To begin with Clay Helton was never accepted as USC head coach. From the day he was hired Men of Troy considered Helton a second-tier choice. Extending fans frustration is the feeling it was a rush hire. And that USC settled. Counter to that is the fact Helton led USC to the Pac 12 championship last year. Equally important was the 2017 Rose Bowl win. Of great concern is the Trojans terrible NCAA Football Betting start for 2018. Not only has Troy lost two in a row but they were dominated in the process.
Washington State Cougars vs. USC Trojans
Date and Time: Friday, September 21, 2018, 10:30 p.m. ET
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
NCAA Football Betting Odds at SBG:
| Team | Spread | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington State | +3½ (-110) | 53 (-110) |  |
| USC | -3½ (-110) | 53 (-110) | |
| |||
Washington State vs. USC TV Coverage: ESPN
Washington State Cougars
Washington State has feasted on cream puffs to start the season 3-0 both straight up and against the spread. Correspondingly coach Mike Leach’s team beat 1AA Eastern Washington 59-24 last week. “The Pirate” again fields one of the most prolific passing attacks in the country. To demonstrate quarterback Gardner Minshew has a 144.5 rating with an 8/2 touchdown to interception ratio. Overall Wazzu ranks second in the nation for passing.
USC Trojans
On the whole Trojan nation is in a total uproar. USC is coming off 37-14 loss at Texas last Saturday. In view of their 17-3 loss at Stanford two weeks ago the look is undeniably bad. At the onset USC’s 43-21 win over UNLV was also a disappointment. The end result is that the Trojans are yet to cover the spread in their three games. Consistent with the bad look are rankings of 92nd for scoring offense and 76th for total defense. Supplementing that is USC’s humiliating mark of 109th in the nation stopping the run.
Coaching Difference
A clear difference exists between these coaches. The Pirate has his quirks but is building a winner at a difficult place to do so. Helton inherited the riches of a traditional power but isn’t moving the needle.
Stats to Consider
Washington State has been a decent NCAA Football Betting value on the road. For example, Wazzu has covered 10 of their last 17 away games. Eight of their last ten away games have gone over the total. Balanced against that is Southern Cal’s poor betting value at LA Memorial Coliseum. To show the Men of Troy have paid in just one of their last six home games. Six of their last nine at home went over the total. Likewise, new starting quarterback JT Daniels has not impressed. To illustrate he has a 1/3 touchdown to interception ratio.
Team vs. Team
Washington State has held surprising value in this head to head series. To demonstrate the Cougars have covered the Online wagering spread in five of their last eight at USC. And the last four meetings between these teams went under the total. Further, Wazzu has paid in their last two visits to Memorial Coliseum.
Matchup to Watch
Washington State is in superior NCAA Football Betting form. Comparable quarterback play gives the Cougars the matchup advantage here. Encompassing that will be a dead atmosphere with a lot of empty seats Friday night.
Washington State vs. USC NCAA Football Betting
As mentioned earlier the trends also support Washington State. USC has shown poor value in this situation.
Washington State vs. USC NCAA Football Betting Pick: Washington State
Washington State vs. USC NCAA Football Betting Score Prediction: Washington State 31, USC 21
Check out highlights of Washington State’s win over Eastern Washington